Little Dragon Gate Forest Park

Little Dragon Gate Forest Park

Little Dragon Gate Forest Park is a national AA-level tourist attraction and a national-level forest park.

Little Dragon Gate Forest Park is a national-level forest park. Located at the foot of Ling Mountain and 114 kilometers from downtown Beijing, it has an average elevation of 1,300 meters. The park covers a total area of 771 hectares. Surrounded by mountains on all sides, with the East and West Ling Mountains standing opposite each other and ancient watchtowers dotting the slopes, Little Dragon Gate Forest Park was established on the basis of the Dagou Forest Area of the Little Dragon Gate Forest Farm.

Little Dragon Gate National Forest Park is located in the Little Dragon Gate Forest Farm in Mentougou District, Beijing, situated between the East and West Ling Mountains — the highest peaks in Beijing and Hebei. With an average elevation of 1,330 meters and 114 kilometers from the city center, the park spans 32,668.5 mu (approximately 21.8 square kilometers). Surrounded by uniquely shaped mountains, lush forests, and crisscrossing ancient Great Wall passages with watchtowers standing tall, visitors can gaze into the distance from high vantage points to see the East Ling Mountain and Xiao Wutai Mountain standing opposite each other. Little Dragon Gate National Forest Park serves as a natural zoo and botanical garden, home to over 700 animal species — including more than 40 mammals and over 150 bird species — and 844 plant species, making it an ideal site for educational field trips in biology for universities and primary schools. The park boasts numerous captivating landscapes that leave visitors enchanted and refreshed. From spring to autumn, colorful butterflies flutter about, mountain flowers bloom brilliantly, and wild fruits abound. In the peak of summer, the park becomes a cool haven, much like a natural air conditioner. The park is traversed east-west by National Highway 109, offering convenient transportation. Attractions within the park include wild boar and butterfly specimen rooms, log cabins, remnants of the Inner Great Wall, Baifo Mountain, the Valley of Secrets exploration area, and the Lücui Tower. Little Dragon Gate National Forest Park boasts abundant forest resources, forming a vast natural oxygen bar where visitors can enjoy a “forest bath.” Studies show that different plants emit various substances and scents with multiple benefits, such as sterilization, nerve stabilization, endocrine enhancement, blood pressure reduction, blood vessel dilation, mental stimulation, fatigue relief, and support for bronchial and renal system functions. Additionally, the forest is rich in negative oxygen ions, which promote metabolism, boost immunity, rejuvenate the body, and prolong life.

Little Dragon Gate Forest Park

The plant resources in Little Dragon Gate Forest Park are extremely rich. According to surveys, there are over 800 species of vascular plants here, including more than 170 woody species. Notably, several new plant species and Beijing’s first recorded species have been discovered here, such as the new Baihuashan Grape species, whose leaves resemble bird feet, have five small leaflets with slender petioles, and diamond-shaped leaflets, closely resembling the well-known compound-leaf grape. In addition to being found in the Gouchaozi Gully of Little Dragon Gate, it also grows in the Qingshuzia Gully of Baihuashan in Beijing. After its discovery, the Baihuashan Grape received recognition from the renowned taxonomist Academician Wang Wencai of the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The discovery of this species is of great value for enriching the germplasm resources of the grape genus. Other Beijing first-recorded species here include Bajia Tea, Hairyback Prickly Rhamnus, Five-stamen Willow, Hebei Willow, and Mongolian Spiraea. Immersed in Little Dragon Gate’s vibrant plant world, you’ll find it truly captivating. In the chilly early spring, you’ll see various willows along the gully bottoms laden with fuzzy flower buds — such as soap willow, yellow willow, and artemisia willow — their silvery, glistening buds heralding the arrival of spring. It’s said that the leaves of artemisia willow can even be used to feed silkworms, no wonder their mature leaves are covered with dense, silky hairs underneath. The lovely white birches, standing in rows and patches, look like paintings from afar and scenic spots up close, especially with their smooth, glossy gray-white bark that evokes thoughts of beautiful love stories. Beneath the birch trees, you might come across Codonopsis pilosula, a medicinal herb known for invigorating the spleen, benefiting qi, and promoting fluid production. Along the roadsides or forest edge shrubs, you often find Rosa multiflora var. cathayensis, also known as Niudie Dou, whose bright red, glossy fruits when ripe are mouthwateringly attractive. Besides being delicious, it also has medicinal value — taken internally, it can treat gout and help expel phlegm. There are at least four types of lilacs on the mountain, such as the Deciduous Lilac, Beijing Lilac, Hairyleaf Lilac, and Red Lilac. They bloom in white or purple, and though their colors vary, their fragrance is equally rich. The valleys and slopes are dotted with groves of aspen, all tall and slender. In autumn, their leaves turn from green to yellow, then to red after frost and rain, creating a fiery red spectacle from afar — hence they’re nicknamed “Fire Poplar.” Fire poplars exhibit root suckering, which helps them expand territory and grow their family. Coupled with their fast growth, other tree species find it hard to compete, making aspen a pioneer species in community regeneration and succession. In the shrubbery of the gullies, you may also find Dongling Hydrangea, which can grow into small trees, with sterile flowers resembling tiny white porcelain bowls. Deep in the shaded gully forests, there’s a fern called “Cyrtomium,” nicknamed “Pheasant Wings,” whose asymmetrical, oblique pinnate leaves peek out from thick layers of fallen leaves and twigs, resembling a pheasant about to take flight.

As you climb higher, the forest becomes denser and the wildflowers more abundant. The upper-canopy trees include mountain ash, chokecherry, split-leaved elm, Acer truncatum, and linden. Such a mixed forest is also called a mixed broadleaf forest. In this woodland, the medicinal herb valerian can be seen everywhere. Its rhizomes are used as stimulants or sedatives to treat neurasthenia, insomnia, and palpitations. In the darker, deeper parts of the woods, patches of a small herb resembling rape seedlings grow — this is Pyrola, known medicinally as “Deer Tongue Grass.” The entire plant is used in medicine for dispelling rheumatism, strengthening tendons and bones, detoxifying, and stopping bleeding. There’s also a plant called Paris polyphylla, which sounds elegant and only grows under the forest canopy. This herb has a creeping rhizome and thick, fleshy underground stems. Its rhizomes are used medicinally as a highly valuable remedy for snake bites and unnamed swellings. Folklore describes it as “Seven leaves, one flower — grab onto any unknown swelling,” highlighting its remarkable efficacy.

Near the mountaintop, you’ll see vast expanses of Stellera chamaejasme, a plant with small white or pink flowers that grow in dense clusters, creating a spectacular sight. Further up, around an elevation of 1,800 meters, you’ll encounter a thorny shrub with dense, long stipular spines on its branches, nicknamed “Ghost-Fearing Trouble” — it actually belongs to the pea family, genus Caragana. It’s said to even have weight-loss benefits. At the summit, the ground is adorned with star-like wildflowers such as trollius, wild lily, Aconitum kusnezoffii, wild poppy, Gentiana macrophylla, and Cypripedium, all quite eye-catching. The rich plant resources of Little Dragon Gate Forest Park provide ideal conditions for developing forest bathing areas, allowing visitors to enjoy a “forest bath.”

Little Dragon Gate Forest Park is home to approximately 700 species of wild animals, including over 40 mammal species such as wolves, foxes, leopards, wild boars, and gazelles; over 150 bird species, including large raptors such as the common kestrel, northern goshawk, golden eagle (a national first-class protected animal), and grey-faced buzzard, as well as pheasants, chukars, and brown eared pheasants (a national first-class protected animal); and over 500 insect species. The park is divided into four sections: the Scientific Experimental Zone, the Majestic Mountains and Beautiful Scenery Zone, the Valley of Secrets Exploration Zone, and the Forest Bathing Zone. Tourist attractions include Pheasant Ridge, Wild Boar Woods, Azalea Mountain, and Wild Vegetable Hollow. The southern mountain features 650 stone steps leading directly to the summit, where a lookout tower in summer offers scenic views and in autumn and winter serves for fire prevention. Visitors can sample a variety of wild vegetables and game such as pheasant here. Little Dragon Gate Forest Park is a natural zoo and botanical garden, not only for appreciation but also suitable for scientific research. The area’s mountains, rocks, and forests are majestic and varied; Pheasant Ridge teems with wild pheasants, while Wild Boar Woods allows visitors to observe traces of wild boar activities. In spring, as plants awaken and sprout tender buds and wild azaleas prepare to bloom, the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful. The park’s many natural landscapes are enchanting and refreshing. From spring to autumn, the area is a riot of flowers and wild fruits, like a beautiful traditional Chinese painting. In the height of summer, it becomes a cool retreat — a natural air-conditioned summer resort. National Highway 109 runs east-west through the park, providing convenient transportation.

The park is divided into four sections: the Scientific Experimental Zone, the Majestic Mountains and Beautiful Scenery Zone, the Valley of Secrets Exploration Zone, and the Forest Bathing Zone. Tourist attractions include Pheasant Ridge, Wild Boar Woods, Azalea Mountain, and Wild Vegetable Hollow. The southern mountain features 650 stone steps leading directly to the summit, where a lookout tower in summer offers scenic views and in autumn and winter serves for fire prevention. Visitors can sample a variety of wild vegetables and game such as pheasant here.

Little Dragon Gate Forest Park offers comprehensive food, accommodation, and entertainment facilities.

Scenic Spot Location

Qingshui Town, Mentougou District, Beijing